Is amiodarone ever used for prevention?

At the age of six weeks, we had a cariologist prescribe amiodarone for our son. He had been diagnosed with WPW, which was accidentally found by our pediatrician. He is now 18 months old. We have since seen a different cardiologist who has told us that the drug is extremely dangerous. The first cardiologist prescribed the amiodarone to prevent arrhythmia. Our son never, ever had an episode of SVT or anything and so the second cardiologist can't figure out why he was prescribed the drug. He is considered a low-risk patient and may not even require surgery, although he will continue to be monitored.

Was this first cardiologist wrong? Is it common practice to prescribe amiodarone for prevention when there are absolutely no symptoms? Aren't the risks of drug side effects possibly more dangerous for a patient who is asymptomatic?

[CCF-M.D.-KE]

Dear jpetzke,

Sorry to hear about your son's WPW. I am an adult cardiologist and I do not see children. However, we don't usually treat adults for WPW who have not experienced any symptoms or episodes of SVT. Amiodarone is a medication with numerous side effects and should be used cautiously. Virtually everyone on amiodarone has side effects.
I think you need to be certain that your son's diagnosis of  WPW is correct. A number of people are referred here with a diagnosis of WPW and actually turn out not to have it. I would suggest seeing a pediatric electrophysiologist at a large university based medical center for a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan.


Thanks for your question,


CCF-MD-KE

[jubilee]

even though you don't treat children, i was wondering if you could please tell some of the s/sx of distress related to withdrawal from amiodarone. my 14 mo old g/son had TOF repair at 5 months, and has recently been removed from the drug. i can't find anything stating the s/sx to watch for, and my daughter is concerned at his recent diarrhea.